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-I appeal to yourself, whether this is not the cuf tomary and obvious Signification of the Word. When a Criminal has been found guilty, but is freed from Punishment, We may, fay of fuch a One, "He is pardoned;" We never fay, "He "is juftified." Then only a Perfon is juftified, when his Righteousness is made clear as the Light.

This the very Genius of our Language implies, and with this the Doctrine of the Apoftle accords. St. Paul mentions A Justification of Life. Not barely an Exemption from the Sentence of Death; but fuch a Juftification, as gives a Title* to the Reward of Life. The Words are very emphatical. We fhall injure the Dignity of their Meaning, if We understand them in a more contracted Sense.Towards the Clofe of the fame Chapter, We have another Paffage, rich with Confolation, and full to our Purpose. Grace reigneth through Righteoufnefs unto eternal Life †. Here, is pointed out the prime Source of all our Bleffings, infinitely free and triumphant Grace: The meritorious Caufe, not any Works of Man, not any Qualifications of our own, but the perfect Righteousness of our LORD JESUS CHRIST: The Effect or End of all; which

is,

*Rom. v. 18. Amaiwolę (wnc eft Declaratio divina illa, qua Peccator, Mortis reus, Vita adjudicatur, idque Jure. BENGEL. This I take to be the precife Meaning of Juftification. Pardon is founded upon Clemency in the Judge: Juftification upon Righteoufnefs in the Party arraigned. Where there is any, though it be but the leaft Fault, an upright earthly Judge cannot juftify. Much lefs will the infinitely righteous Judge of Quick and Dead. But Sinners having, in the Obedience of CHRIST, a most perfect Righteoufnefs, are juftified, idque jure, and that on Principles of Equity.

+ Rom. v. 21.

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is, not barely an Abfolution from Guilt, but an Inftatement in Life; a Life of holy Communion with GOD in this World, to be crowned with an eternal Fruition of Him in another.

Accordingly, eternal Life is called The Hope, not of Forgiveness, but of Righteoufnefs*. And it is bestowed, not barely because of Absolution, but becaufe of Righteoufnefs +.I think, therefore, We have very fufficient Reason to diftinguish, between the Pardon which delivers from Hell, and the Righteousness which intitles to Heaven. The former does by no means conftitute the latter; but is connected with it, as a Link in the fame Chain; or included in it, as Part of the fame Whole-that important and glorious Whole, JUSTIFICATION! Which, to every poor Sinner, who knows his undone Condition, must be incomparably more valuable, than ten thousand Worlds.

Ther. Admitting your Diftinction to be proper ; Is not the Death of CHRIST, fufficient of itself to obtain, both our full Pardon, and our final Happiness?

Afp. Since my Friend has ftarted the Queftion, I may venture, with all Reverence to the divine Counfels, to answer in the Negative: it being neceffary, that the REDEEMER of Men fhould obey, as well as fuffer, in their Stead.-For this We have the Teftimony of our Church; "It had "not been enough to be delivered by his Death " from Sin, except by his Resurrection We had "been endowed with Righteoufnefs."-For this We have the Authority of our LORD; This Command

* Gal. v. 5.

D 3

+ Rom. viii. 10.

Commandment, fays He, have I received of my FATHER, that I fhould lay down my Life *. Thus it becometh Us, adds He in another Place, to fulfil all Righteoufnefs +.-To all which his Apoftle fubjoins ; that, if We reign in Life, it must be, not only through thofe Sufferings which expiate, but alfo through that Righteousness + which merits.

Ther. Our LORD's Teftimony relates only to a pofitive Inftitution, and is quite foreign to your Purpose. I have often been difgufted at fuch ftrained Applications of Scripture. The Partizans of a Syftem wreft the facred Book. They deal with divine Truth, as the Tyrant Procruftes ferved thofe unhappy Creatures, who fell into his mercilefs Hands. Is a Text too short, to fuit their Defign? Our Procruftean Expofitors can ftretch it on the Rack, and lengthen its Senfe. Is it too full, to confift with their Scheme? They can lop off a Limb, fecrete a Sentence, or contract the Meaning.-Is this to reverence the great GOD? Is this to treat respectfully his holy Word?

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Afp. I have been grieved, I affure You, and difgufted at this Practice, as well as Yourself. A Practice, not only very irreverent, but very injudicious alfo. It really prejudices the Cause, it it would unfairly recommend. Such a Support is like a broken Tooth, or a Foot out of joint ; not only unferviceable, but hurtful; an Obftruction, rather than a Furtherance. However, I am not confcious of committing any Violence on this Paffage, or of forcing it into my Service. The Circumftance You object, rather ftrengthens, than invalidates

John x. 18. | Prov. xxv. 19.

+ Matt. iii. 15:

Rom. v. 17.

invalidates the Conclufion. If it was fo requifite for our bleffed MEDIATOR, to observe a positive and temporary Inftitution; how much more neceffary, to fulfil thofe moral Precepts, whofe Obligation is unalterable and everlasting? At his Baptism, He observed the former; as a Token or Earneft, that through his whole Life, He would fulfil the latter *.

Befides; it fhould be confidered, Whether CHRIST's Sufferings were a complete Satisfaction to the Law? Complete they were, with regard to the Penalty, not with regard to the Precept. A Diftinction obvious and weighty. From whence arifes the following Argument; which, for once, You will allow me to propose in the logical Form. By what alone the Law was not satisfied; by that alone Sinners could not be justified:

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By CHRIST's Sufferings alone, the Law was not satisfied:

Therefore, by CHRIST's Sufferings alone, Sinners could not be justified.

But when We join the active with the paffive Obedience of our LORD; when We add to both, the perfect Sanctity of his Nature; how does our Juftification stand firm, in the fullest Sense of the Word! We have all that the Law demands, both for our Exemption from the Curfe, and as a Title to the Bleffing.

Ther. Does not the Scripture afcribe the Whole of our Salvation to the Death of CHRIST? Delivering it, as a never to be forgotten Maxim in Chrif

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* Пajar dixaioσumv, Omnes Juftitia Partes, atque adeo hanc quoque, cæterarum majorum Arrhabonem.

BENGEL.

Christianity; That We have Redemption through his Blood*: are brought near through the Blood of CHRIST: nay, that We are juftified (the very Point under Debate) through his Blood ‡.-Would the inspired Writer have affigned these various Bleffings to this one Caufe; if it had been a Price inadequate to the Purchase, or a Means infufficient to accomplish the End?

Afp. This Part of our LORD's meritorious Humiliation, is, by a very usual Figure, put for the Whole. The Death of CHRIST includes, not only his Sufferings, but his Obedience. The Shed-ding of his precious Blood, was at once the grand Inftance of his Suffering, and the finishing A&t of his Obedience. In this View it is confidered, and thus it is interpreted, by his own Ambassador. Who, fpeaking of his Divine MASTER, fays, He was obedient unto Death, even the Death of the Cross .

By the fame Figure, Faith is fometimes faid to be a lively influential Perfuafion, That CHRIST died for our Sins §. At other Times, it is reprefented as a firm practical Belief, That GOD hath raised Him from the Dead ¶. Neither of which can, without the utmoft Contrariety to the Analogy of Scripture, be taken in the exclufive Senfe. Each Act must be understood, not feparately, but jointly. Each

+ Eph. ii. 13.

Rom. v. 9.

• Eph. i. 7. Phil. ii. 8. The Original is exp davale ufque ad. Not only in Death, but through his whole Life, even unto Death. That fame Principle of Duty to GOD, which influenced our SAVIOUR's Life, carried Him on to the laft and greatest A&t of Obedience, his voluntary Submiffion to Death.

§ 1 Cor. xv. 3.

Rom. x. 9.

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